Allegations of ballot stuffing and improper handling of votes at the founding annual general meeting of the UCP’s Calgary-North East constituency association circulated online after a video was posted June 30.

Gill resigned from caucus Saturday following an investigation into the incident by retired judge Ted Carruthers, who served as president of the Progressive Conservative party before his appointment to the bench in the 1990s. The UCP did not release the results of the investigation.

In a statement to Postmedia, Gill said he doesn’t agree with all of the conclusions in that investigation, but accepts the findings. He called it a “fair, independent process.”

“I wish my former colleagues all the best in the future. I greatly respect all that they are trying to achieve as Alberta heads to the 2019 election, and I certainly would never want to be a distraction to those critical efforts,” Gill said.

“Serving the residents of Calgary-Greenway is a great honour, and it is my intention to continue to serve the community as an independent MLA for the remainder of my term.”

Gill said he will focus on spending time with his family. He declined to comment further.

Gill was elected as a PC MLA in 2016 after a byelection to replace Manmeet Bhullar, who was killed in a 2015 crash on Highway 2 when he stopped to help a motorist.

“I hope that we can now all move forward with our task of defeating the NDP and getting Alberta back on track,” Kenney said.

‘Reeks of entitlement’

Gill’s former PC colleague, Sandra Jansen, who crossed to the NDP in November 2016 and is now Alberta’s infrastructure minister, wasn’t surprised by Gill’s resignation.

Speaking to Postmedia from Calgary, Jansen slammed the UCP and Kenney for holding onto the report until after results were known in two byelections held this week. Both were won by UCP candidates.

“This reeks of entitlement. It absolutely lacks a moral and ethical framework and it goes on to completely validate a continuation of a pattern of bad behaviour amongst folks in the UCP,” she said.

Jansen’s intrigued that Carruthers’ report into what happened that night in Calgary has not been publicly released.

“Whatever was in that report leaves me more curious than ever,” Jansen said.

“Did he in fact stuff ballots in a box in order to change the outcome of a board election that would have had — and, ironically, did end up having — a profound effect on his future electability in Calgary-Greenway?

“The people of his constituency deserve to know.”

Gill latest UCP departure

Gill is the fifth MLA to leave the UCP caucus.

Calgary-South East MLA Rick Fraser left the party not long after it came into being, and later joined the Alberta Party.

Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt was booted from the UCP caucus following a series of missteps, including renting out his taxpayer-funded apartment on Airbnb and being convicted of hunting charges. He currently sits as an independent conservative.

Former Wildrose leader Brian Jean left following his unsuccessful bid to lead the new United Conservative Party, forcing this week’s byelection in Fort McMurray-Conklin.

Don MacIntyre resigned from the party after he was changed with sexual assault offences against a minor. His departure led to this week’s other byelection, in Innisfail-Sylvan Lake.

Former PC MLA Richard Starke, MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster, declined to join the UCP when it was formed after a merger between his party and Wildrose last year.

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